2025 June Newsletter
Important Dates
June 9 Registration for Fall Opens
June 10th First Day of Summer Dance Classes
June 11-15 Starz Nationals Competition
Location: Kalahari Resorts & Conventions - Wisconsin Dells - 1305 Kalahari Dr, Baraboo, WI
June 24, 3:30pm Matilda at the Glenview Library Performance
Location Glenview Public Library - 1930 Glenview Road Glenview, IL
June 26 Matilda Performance
Performance 1: 5:00 pm | Performance 2: 6:30 pm
Location: The Annex Blackbox, Glenview DMA
June 23 & June 30 Anita’s Way Rehearsals
Select dancers begin rehearsing for their summer performance at Anita’s Way in NYC.
Up Next at DMA!
Learn more about our upcoming offerings on STUDIO PRO.
Our Community
DMA hosted an End-of-Year Company Celebration at Valley Lo Club to recognize the hard work and dedication of our company students throughout the year!
Our annual DMA Spring Recitals were a smash hit! We are so proud of ALL of our students for demonstrating courage and showcasing their passion and dedication by performing their routines!
Mastering Choreography
Tips for Learning and Retaining Your Routines
As we dive into our Solo, Duo, and Trio choreography sessions for an incredible 120 routines, now is the time to sharpen your skills in picking up and retaining choreography. Whether you're performing alone, in pairs, or small groups, tuning into your focus is key to executing your routine with confidence and precision.
1. Be Present & Focused
From the moment rehearsal starts, engage fully with your choreographer. Watch carefully, listen intently, and absorb the nuances of each step. Try to capture the small details and pay attention to your instructor’s quality while teaching the choreography.
2. Break It Down
If you find yourself having trouble remembering the entire routine at once, break it into sections. Focus on small sequences before linking them together. It might sound monotonous, but repetition is your best friend!
3. Use Counts & Know Your Music
Understanding musical phrasing and counts will help connect the dots between steps. Try marking the routine while counting aloud or humming the song. See how the music ebbs and flows, and see if you can create that, visually, through your dancing. Connecting choreography to music will enhance muscle memory.
4. Visualize & Verbalize
Picture yourself performing the routine, even when you're outside the studio. Say movements out loud—describing what comes next can reinforce memory. Mental rehearsals are surprisingly effective!
5. Switch Things Up
Run through routines in different ways—full-out, marked, or even backward to reinforce muscle memory. Try performing the routine without music to ensure you truly know each transition.
6. Record & Review
Watching videos of rehearsals can provide insight into corrections and improvements. Self-analysis sharpens performance quality and memory retention. Having trouble keeping track of your feedback? Consider investing in a dance journal where you can write down your notes after each choreography and cleaning session.
7. Stay Consistent & Confident
Practice regularly, even if it’s just reviewing steps before bed. Confidence grows with repetition, so trust yourself and commit to each movement.
8. Support Each Other
Learning choreography with partners? Use each other for accountability—helping one another remember steps can solidify the routine for both dancers.
By implementing these techniques, you’ll not only learn faster but also retain choreography more effectively. Let’s make this season unforgettable—happy dancing!
Metamorphosis; Fearless Evolution
The Metamorphosis; Fearless Evolution experience is designed to give students, directors, and parents/guardians exclusive access to the professional world. The experience fosters an appreciation for artistic innovation through master classes, seminars, choreography showcases, and the Collective Contemporary Awards Celebration.
We are currently looking for upcoming High School Seniors to join us as MPE Assistants for 2025. Click here to apply! Registration will close on August 1st!
DMA hosted the "Take Flight" workshop weekend where dancers learned a new piece to perform at Metamorphosis; Fearless Evolution this November, took classes with an amazing faculty, participated in a photoshoot, and had the opportunity to showcase their own work!